


Funny How the Stars Crossed Right

by lazy_storm_clouds



Category: American Housewife (TV)
Genre: Cooper has feelings, Cooper has insecurities, Cooper has some self reflecting to be doing, Franklin and Cooper bonding, Franklin is Cooper's confidante, Franklin is doing God's work, Gen, M/M, Mild Angst, Oliver is Doris' unofficial therapist, so Franklin is Cooper's
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:33:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27990057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazy_storm_clouds/pseuds/lazy_storm_clouds
Summary: Cooper's not feeling so great. Franklin's there to listen.
Relationships: Cooper Bradford & Franklin, Cooper Bradford/Oliver Otto
Comments: 11
Kudos: 52





	Funny How the Stars Crossed Right

**Author's Note:**

> The article Franklin reads about ostriches is from the September 2020 issue. I was going to use frogs instead of ostriches but I wanted accuracy. 
> 
> Did I use a master list of gestures and body language to help me? Maybe. And Grammarly keeps trying to make my casual dialogue into formal 😒
> 
> The title comes from Sabrina Carpenter's song Why!
> 
> Enjoy!

“Okay, I need to talk to someone!”

Cooper came flying into the living room, a flurry of limbs and a rush of hurried footsteps. Franklin looked up from the ostrich article he was reading in the latest National Geographic. Cooper was running a hand through his hair and nearly vibrating in place. 

“I’m available,” Franklin set down the magazine on the coffee table. 

“Great, no one else was available. Well, they were, I just don’t trust them not to say anything.” 

Franklin sat up with interest. It wasn’t like Cooper to hide anything. Especially from the Ottos. 

“Alright,” Cooper slunk down into the armchair and took a deep breath. “So, I’m feeling—”

Franklin put a hand up. 

“Let me stop you there. Give me a moment to set up my office.” 

Cooper lifted his shoulder in a half-shrug and nodded. Franklin grabbed his notebook and pencil from beside him and flipped to a clean page. He could finish his notes on ostriches later. He stood and walked to stand in front of Cooper. He stared at him, Cooper’s eyebrows steadily rising the longer he stared. 

“Maybe I should talk to someone else…”

Franklin decided to explain, “Swap places with me. You can lay on the couch like I do in my one-on-one sessions with Dr. Ellie.” 

“Um... Okay.” 

Cooper stood and moved to lay down on the couch so he could still see Franklin. Franklin shifted around in the chair until he was comfortable. Then, he reached for Greg’s reading glasses sitting on the side table. He put them on and turned to Cooper. 

“Okay, I’m ready. Tell me how you’re feeling.” 

Cooper cocked his head. 

“Can you even see anything through those?” 

“Not at all. Please, continue.” 

Cooper shoved his hair back away from his face and drew in a long breath. 

“I’m feeling… I don’t even know how to describe it, honestly.” 

“Abandoned by your parents,” Franklin suggested. “Inferior to your peers? Left behind by anyone with a solid life plan and ambition to succeed? Dismissed by the one person whose attention you seek the most? Or is it just that you’re going from place to place and floating through the days without actually being sure of what’s happening?” 

Cooper gaped at him. 

“I was _going to say_ “taken for granted.” I feel taken for granted. Damn, dude, you get right to it.” 

“Thank you. Now,” Franklin put his chin on his fist. “Why do you think you feel this way?” 

“ _Which_ way? Obviously, I have several strong feelings I didn’t know about,” Cooper said, irritated. 

“Being taken for granted.” 

“Because it’s true, I guess." He sighed. "Oliver just kind of accepts that I’m always around and he used to just go with it anytime we spent my parents’ money, especially if it benefited him.” 

Franklin scribbled something on the notebook. 

“Understandable. Go on.”

“But… It hurts that he doesn’t really see me anymore. He works so hard and he says he does it for us, but I don’t know if that’s what it is. Lately, anyway.” 

“Okay. Can you explain?” 

Cooper sat up, crossed his legs, and leaned forward. His eyes were distant and his expression echoed the lost feeling he didn’t quite understand. 

“Oliver’s been working towards Harvard for as long as I’ve known him. It’s our junior year now and he’s putting so much pressure on himself because it’s so close. But that means he’s not completely here. He’s off thinking about the future and how he can reach it.” 

“Uh-huh,” Franklin took off the glasses, holding them by the stem. “You’re talking a lot about Oliver and not about yourself. Tell me about Cooper.”

Cooper clasped his hands together lightly. He turned towards the far wall, his jaw set, and started speaking. 

“Alright. I hate that he works so hard and never has time for me anymore. But I don’t want it to be like when he was working so much with Trevor.” 

“So, you’re jealous that Oliver is spending all his time on Harvard and not on you. _Interesting._ ” 

Cooper whirled around. A flush crept up his face. He looked everywhere but at Franklin. 

“I’m not jealous,” he mumbled. 

“Then what are you?” 

“Annoyed.” 

“Sure. Let’s move on. You want to share a future with Oliver, right?” 

Franklin set aside the glasses and observed Cooper. Cooper’s whole body relaxed at the sudden question. His head lifted minutely. 

“Well, yeah. I can’t imagine a future without Oliver in it.” 

“Have you thought about your future, together or otherwise?” 

“Ye—” 

Franklin interrupted. “And I don’t mean that you’re going to donate a building and be able to go to the same school as Oliver.”

His brow furrowed. 

“Then what do you mean?” 

Franklin sighed. This required overtime and the ostriches would just have to wait. This was a tough case. Lifting the notebook, he began to read the questions he’d written down.

“What are you going to study and do for the rest of your life? Do you want any pets? Are you and Oliver still going to live together when one of you gets a girlfriend? What happens when you get married? What place does Oliver have in your life now and what place do you want him to have in the future?” 

Cooper just stared, astonished. He hadn’t thought of _any_ of that. He just assumed he’d go into whatever Oliver did and they’d always be with each other. 

“Look, I have another appointment. But take this and it can be your homework.” 

Franklin handed Cooper the notebook. He took it, apprehension on his face. 

“Just think about what you want. Not what Oliver wants.” 

And with that, Franklin left out of the living room and up the stairs. Cooper watched him leave and turned towards the notebook. He read the questions over and over, pensive. 

He had some hard thinking to do.

* * *

It had been two days since Cooper had talked to Franklin. He’d used those two days to the fullest extent and thought over his answers to each question very carefully. And more. 

He wanted to go into business. It was practical and he already knew a lot about it, especially given all the time spent with Oliver and Trevor working on the Gyftee app. He wanted a dog at least. Something comforting and that he could see all the time. So, some sort of house pet. A dog just seemed easier what with him being used to Luthor. 

The next question was when it started to get truly difficult. Would he and Oliver still live together when one of them got a girlfriend? At the beginning of the relationship, sure. But once things had become serious? Who knew because Cooper certainly didn’t. It didn’t help that neither of them had had a girlfriend for a while. Cooper hadn’t even really thought about it. The only person he’d had to share Oliver with recently had been Trevor and that hadn’t exactly been easy. 

Considering Cooper hadn’t thought about future girlfriends, he most definitely hadn’t thought as far as marriage. For either him or Oliver. It just didn’t seem like something that would ever happen. It brought him right back to the feelings he had when his parents told him they were selling the Westport estate. It was a bad mix of despair, uneasiness, and annoyance that left his stomach in knots. Cooper didn’t think marriage would be in the cards for him for a long time. 

Oliver was Cooper’s best friend. That was obvious. But was that his place? He was also his roommate. Was that what Franklin had meant? This took Cooper the longest. In those two days, he watched Oliver and tried to understand his place in Cooper’s life. Oliver and his family were  _ everything _ to him. Cooper would rather die than lose them. That seemed to sum it up quite well. His life changed when the Ottos moved to Westport and if they hadn’t, Cooper wouldn’t be who he was. He needed Oliver in his life like he needed air. 

So, what did he want Oliver’s place to be in his life. Cooper still wasn’t sure. He just knew he needed him there, always beside him. For the moment, best friend and roommate would have to do. He didn’t have any other answer. And he didn’t want to think too hard on potential answers to that question. It brought up thoughts he wasn’t ready to confront. 

Cooper waited all day to make his move. He needed to talk to Franklin alone and when everyone else would be too preoccupied to listen in. Cooper waited until Oliver went upstairs to brush his teeth before finding Franklin. He was putting his backpack and shoes by the front door. He glanced at Cooper and continued with his task. Cooper leaned against the door to the basement. 

“I’ve thought about it.” 

Franklin turned to face Cooper fully. 

“And?” 

“I want him in my life. No matter what. Anything he’s willing to give me, I’ll take. We’ll be in college soon and while his ambitions won’t change, hopefully, he’ll slow down a little.” 

“And if he doesn’t?” 

Cooper shrugged and stood straight. “I’ll worry about it and deal with it then. Until then, I’m going to do what I can to take away some of the pressure he puts on himself. He’ll hurt himself if he isn’t careful and I don’t want that.” 

“How are you going to help him?” 

Cooper looked towards Greg’s office, then down at the ground. He swallowed loudly. 

“I’m not sure,” he said, meeting Franklin’s eyes.

“Why don’t you take him somewhere you can both relax and spend time together? That’s what Anna-Kat and I do. We do fun stuff like shadow puppets and debate the political machinations concerned in the Kentucky Derby. Taylor and Trip go out to eat, go to the movies, and they just went to that coloring place again.” 

“Taylor and Trip don’t even like all the same things.” 

“Yeah, but they still found stuff to do together. Trip doesn’t understand art, but he likes making things. And Taylor likes art. I like shadow puppets and am really good at them.” 

“Yeah, I still don’t know how you do that.”

Franklin shrugged modestly. 

“Some people just have it.” 

Cooper raised an eyebrow. 

“Anna-Kat loves horses. I used to just roar like a dinosaur. Now, I can neigh properly.” 

“I’m afraid of where this is going.” 

Franklin rolled his eyes. 

“I do things she likes because I care about her. Trip does the same with Taylor. And they do the same for us. Try  _ that. _ Take Oliver to do something that you can both enjoy. And then do that when you think he needs a break. It’s not that hard, man.” 

Franklin shook his head at Cooper, eyes squinted in judgment, and left. Cooper watched his ascent of the stairs and went back down into the basement. What could they do together? What was something they both enjoyed? 

Cooper slowly walked around the basement. He searched every surface and studied every picture. When Oliver came back downstairs, Cooper already had an idea and a plan forming. He could do this. He just had to convince Oliver, first.

**Author's Note:**

> Feed my ridiculous need for validation with comments, please!
> 
> Let me know what you thought! 💜
> 
> Also, should I start doing recommendations down here? I can do some for AH but are there any other fandoms you would want to hear some of my fave fics for?


End file.
